Iran, seeking European leverage to secure better terms from the United States following last year's nuclear deal, asked the European Union to put pressure on Washington to let it into the global financial system.
In a visit to Tehran by a high-powered EU team in which both sides spoke of a significant expansion in economic and energy ties, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed EU support for its bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and spoke of a "new beginning" in relations with Europe.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, whose team of seven commissioners was the biggest to visit Tehran in more than a decade, said it is in Europe's interest to make sure European banks feel confident to do business in Iran.